The present invention is directed to methods and systems for network infrastructures based on four-layer architectures.
Nanonetworks are interconnections of nanomachines, including nano-electronic devices and/or biological cells. Utilization of nanonetworks requires communication in the nanodomain, such as information transfer using terahertz frequency or by molecular communication. Molecular communication is an emerging field of communication, necessitated in large part by the demand for nanonetworks. Molecular communication allows nanomachines to communicate by exchanging molecules in an aqueous environment, and to perform collaborative tasks by integrating functionalities of individual biological nanomachines. Traditional communication methods are not suitable for nanonetworks due in part to the smaller dimensions of transmitters, receivers, and other components of the system.
There are examples of molecular communication throughout nature. For example, a biological cell utilizes molecular communication via intracellular and/or intercellular molecules to accomplish biological functions such as respiration, nerve impulse conduction, hormone secretion, and many, many more. One specific form of molecular communication is calcium (Ca2+) signaling in which the concentration of a stream of Ca2+ ions is modulated spatio-temporally in order to bring about processes like muscle contraction, cell differentiation, hormone secretion, and so on. However, the role of cellular signaling in normal cell functioning, as well as under pathological conditions, is still poorly understood. Accordingly, examining cellular signaling requires systematic modeling of the network (i.e., the interconnection) of cells and incorporating proper mathematical models for quantification of the associated electrochemical phenomena.
Accordingly, there is a continued need to understand molecular communication and the role of cellular signaling, as well as a need to apply that understanding to create network infrastructures based on those molecular communication pathways.